Chapter 452: Electric Ball Projectile
Master Cai Jing said, "I have some experience cultivating magic plants, but I'm nowhere near Master Za Zhong's level. I could meet his standards, but it would take at least two years. And time is precisely what I lack right now."
“My plan is to recruit numerous potion apprentices. By mass-cultivating diverse magic plants and saturating them with my potions to force accelerated growth, we can maximize survival rates. With sufficient quantity, we may well obtain hybrid magic plants meeting the requirements.”
“With both of you assisting now, this plan's timeline will advance significantly.”
"Of course, if Magician Da Bei has better ideas, feel free to propose them. My original plan isn't set in stone."
“After all, over the years, we've worked together quite harmoniously.”
Da Bei and Zhong Bei exchanged a quick glance, both seeing delight in each other's eyes.
They had originally intended to ask Master Cai Jing to replicate the magic potion. But now, a legendary level inheritance lay before them, their previous plan could be completely discarded!
With this legacy, Zhong Bei could establish his own advantage within the Alchemy Guild entirely on his own; there was no need to bother with Bu Quan anymore.
Da Bei immediately expressed his gratitude to Master Cai Jing.
This wasn't mere lip service; he pledged to compensate Master Cai Jing with corresponding magician resources based on the legacy's value.
Zhong Bei followed suit: "Who would have thought this trip to Flower Skirt Island would bring such a tremendous surprise? We will give it our all!"
Master Cai Jing nodded coldly.
It had taken him an hour of deliberation to make this difficult decision.
The exposure of the underground caverns caused by Ba Qi's attack made him realize he had to act swiftly. The spreading rumors had completely shattered any lingering hope he might have had.
At this moment, the arrival of Da Bei and Zhong Bei triggered extreme vigilance in Master Cai Jing.
In the worst-case scenario, these two had come solely for the inheritance of the legendary master.
“And this won't be the end—only the beginning.” After careful consideration, Master Cai Jing felt the situation would only worsen.
As time passed, the rumors spread farther and wider, inevitably drawing more people to the island.
Rather than facing numerous powerful adversaries alone when that time came, it would be wiser to sacrifice some of his own interests now, recruiting allies to defend his position.
In this light, Magician Da Bei emerged as a suitable collaborator.
Not only had they worked together before and understood each other well, but there was another crucial factor, Magician Da Bei was not skilled in combat.
Lan Zao honed his battle skill in the sea.
He continuously expelled air projectiles.
Each shot struck his chosen targets with pinpoint accuracy.
Through relentless training, his practice targets gradually shifted from stationary reefs and coral to moving schools of fish, turtles, crabs, squid, and more.
Following the training materials provided by Shuang Tu, after diligent practice, Lan Zao's accuracy rose to 100%.
"After cultivating the Air Pressure battle qi technique, I can compress air effortlessly. When these compressed air projectiles are fired, it feels as natural as using my own arms and legs."
“This is the power of bloodline!”
Lan Zao marveled.
The benefits of bloodline manifested in every aspect.
His pure Fish Bladder bloodline allowed Lan Zao to effortlessly master the Air Cannon battle skill. He progressed at an astonishing pace through subsequent training exercises.
“But achieving this level alone is insufficient.”
Following the methods outlined in the training materials, Lan Zao activated a compact alchemy device he carried.
The spherical device swam forward, stirring chaotic currents in the surrounding seawater.
The air projectiles Lan Zao fired lost their accuracy amid the turbulent currents.
He adapted through trial and error, quickly finding his rhythm.
As time passed, his hit rate climbed again, rapidly rising from the low ten percentages to over fifty percent.
This was the result of his bloodline talent - Fluid Perception.
Using Fluid Perception, he keenly sensed every movement of the currents. This allowed him to evade their interference and ensure the projectiles struck their targets cleanly.
After about half an hour of practice, Lan Zao's hit rate climbed to around 80%.
Another hour passed, and Lan Zao's hit rate dropped to just over 30%.
This was because he began experimenting with using ocean currents to increase the projectile's flight speed.
He already possessed the ability to harness ocean currents to boost his swimming speed, and could even utilize air currents to increase his flight speed and distance.
Now, applying this ability to accelerate air projectiles represented a further refinement of his skill.
He continued practicing until the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky ablaze with brilliant sunset hues. By then, Lan Zao's accuracy had rebounded to around 70%.
Shuang Tu arrived, witnessed the training results, and applauded on the spot in admiration.
“Your opponent for the next wild duel has been confirmed.”
“You will fight underwater. Your opponent will be a shark.”
Lan Zao inquired, “What specific type of shark? What is its transcendent level?"
Shuang Tu shook his head slightly, “I haven't been able to gather specific details yet. In truth, you must understand that as the organizers of the wild duel, they need to create certain illusions: either a balanced matchup or one where one side holds a clear advantage. This allows them to steer the number of bettors and maximize their profits in the wagers."
"Like earlier, our investigation had an error because the arena made last minute modifications to the duel. They replaced the original bronze level beast with an iron level snow eagle." Shuang Tu explained the discrepancy in their earlier intelligence.
"You can breathe underwater during combat. This type of battle is rarer than land combat. The wild duel arena likely arranged this underwater combat to enhance the spectacle."
“Their selection criteria for aquatic beasts referenced the combat prowess you demonstrated in your previous wild duel.”
“Therefore, our strategy is straightforward, maximize your combat strength beyond their benchmark. This will increase your win rate in the next wild duel.”
Lan Zao couldn't help but look worried, “Compared to the last duel, I've only added a piece of iron level leather armor. And this was done publicly, many in the tavern know this information. This also means that the wild duel arena is aware of my improvement in this area. They might raise the standards for selecting aquatic beasts.”
Shuang Tu smiled faintly, producing an alchemy artifact and handing it to Lan Zao: “That's why I also brought you these.”
Though seeing the actual items for the first time, Lan Zao instantly grasped their purpose.
“These are the alchemy projectile cores designed for my Air Cannon?”
Shuang Tu confirmed: "Correct. The training materials I gave you earlier contained extensive details. Refer to those materials for specific usage details."
Lan Zao nodded and accepted the alchemy projectile cores.
They were significantly smaller than standard bullets, roughly one-quarter the size.
Holding them in his hand, Lan Zao noticed their surprising weight.
Picking one up between his fingers for closer inspection, he observed a faint magic glow shimmering across its surface. It was faint and required close scrutiny to perceive.
Shuang Tu had provided him with three types of alchemy projectile cores.
The first was a deep blue electric ball projectile.
It could transform the Air Cannon attack into an electric ball, granting it a lightning attack effect.
The second was a grayish-white range-enhancing core.
Using it would increase the Air Cannon's range by at least double.
The third was an orange-yellow pressure-boosting core.
This core increased the Air Cannon's pressure, halving its volume while maintaining the blast radius but significantly boosting its explosive power.
Lan Zao understood: his upcoming training would revolve around these alchemy projectile cores.
Mastering their usage and raising proficiency to combat-ready levels was essential.
Shuang Tu offered sound advice: "Merely increasing proficiency isn't truly excellent. You must think critically. Consider which alchemy projectile core would be most effective in specific combat scenarios."
“Practicing this foresight repeatedly will grant you quicker reflexes and more precise responses when facing actual combat.”
"In real battle, both sides fight against the clock. Opportunities are fleeting—the slightest misstep can completely alter the outcome."
After relaying these instructions, Shuang Tu hurriedly departed.
He needed to address an unexpected situation promptly.
This unexpected turn of events was the sudden appearance of Da Bei and Zhong Bei who paid a visit to Master Cai Jing. After some deliberation, the latter actually began collaborating with Da Bei and Zhong Bei!
Shuang Tu's primary mission at the moment was to acquire the inheritance of the great druid.
Progress on this task had been going quite smoothly.
Master Cai Jing was actively recruiting potion apprentices, allowing Shuang Tu to easily infiltrate numerous agents into his ranks. Upon receiving frontline intelligence, Shuang Tu immediately grasped Master Cai Jing's true progress.
With just one final hurdle remaining, Master Cai Jing could unearth the legendary master's legacy.
His shift in strategy for excavating the legacy clearly signaled a desperate attempt to buy time and secure the inheritance swiftly.
Shuang Tu remained unflustered, having prepared long ago.
He even gave things a nudge. The rumors circulating on Flower Skirt Island about the great druid's legacy were deliberately spread by him.
Shuang Tu's goal was to intensify the pressure on Master Cai Jing, compelling him to complete the final trial as swiftly as possible.
The greater the pressure on Master Cai Jing, the more he would pursue higher efficiency and shorter timelines. In this process, he would inevitably invest more energy and resources, potentially making mistakes in the rush.
By the time Shuang Tu made his move, Master Cai Jing's strength would likely be significantly depleted.
However, the unexpected appearance of Da Bei and Zhong Bei, coupled with Master Cai Jing's proactive offer of cooperation, resulted in the alliance of two gold level magicians. Shuang Tu quickly realized his rumor scheme had backfired.
If he wanted to claim the legacy of Master Fan Sheng Za Zhong, he would have to face the combined forces of two gold level and one silver level magicians.
Such power far exceeded his prior preparations.
“It seems I must contact Ba Qi and ask for his aid once more.”
“But I lost contact with him shortly after he departed.”
“To this day, I cannot reach him. What on earth happened to him?”
Ba Qi was praying.
"My Lord, the Charming Blue Goddess, You are so great. When You are angry, the seas tremble. When You are merciful, You grant us illusory care. I look up to Your mighty power, certain of Your salvation. Grant me the status of a worthy believer, so that Your loyal believers may escape their current peril."
The goddess did not answer.
Ba Qi's expression remained composed.
He was thoroughly familiar with the rituals and protocols of prayer, certain neither had been violated.
After being captured by Zhou Zhang, he swiftly grasped his true predicament and pledged conversion on the spot.
But conversion proved far from simple.
Especially since the Charming Blue believer lay in slumber, rarely responding to her believers.
Ba Qi had naturally prepared a contingency plan.
But escape was no simple feat.
He found himself surrounded by a vast undersea army, tightly encircled and under strict surveillance. Most critically, he had no means to counter the Opportunistic Deception divine spell of the octopusman priestess Zhou Zhang!
“Shuang Tu knows I went to capture the sea serpent. Having lost contact for so long, he must be suspicious.”
“Hope he's smart enough to send reinforcements soon.”
“For now, I can stall a little longer.”
Movement at the altar interrupted his thoughts.
Ba Qi stepped out of the makeshift coral shelter beneath the sea and saw another blood sacrifice beginning.
“Wait, this one's different!” Ba Qi's pupils contracted slightly.